COLT, Samuel

COLT, SAMUEL (Colt, Samuel) (1814-1862), American engineer. Born July 19, 1814 in Hartford (pc. Connecticut). While working as a sailor on the brig 'Corley', the young Samuel drew attention to the fact that after turning the steering wheel, one of his arms falls into the predatory clutch and the steering wheel is fixed. Using a similar mechanism in the development of firearms, a Colt revolver has created his own design. Description of this design is the content of a patent issued Colt 25 February 1836. To earn money on the manufacture of prototypes revolver, the inventor traveled the country, giving a presentation with the 'laughing gas' (nitrous oxide). In 1835, Colt was in Europe and received the English and French patents for his invention. The following year, donated his patent to the company 'Arms menyufekchuring' (Paterson, pc. New Jersey), soon ceased to exist in 1842 because of conflict between the companions.
Trying to find the means to resume the production of revolvers, Colt began experiments on the creation of underwater mines and soon developed a mine with an electric detonator. During the US-Mexican War, 1846-1848 'Colts' It took the Texas Rangers, soldiers mounted commando squads U.S., and January 4, 1847 Colt received a state order for 1,000 revolvers. Not having their own arms factory, has signed a contract with I. Whitney, and when the option expired, opened the shop in Hartford Armory. In 1852 was commissioned to design a revolver to the naval officers.

In the same year Colt bought 'Southern Meadows' - wasteland near Hartford, and in 1855 built a weapons factory. During the Civil War the company supplied the Colt government troops, hundreds of thousands of small arms.

Colt died in Hartford on Jan. 10, 1862.